


When the sun goes down

by The_GrxyWxrxn_91



Series: The Raven Six [2]
Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: M/M, Multi, Neil is very thirsty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-25
Updated: 2019-10-07
Packaged: 2020-10-27 23:42:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 6
Words: 19,560
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20768903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_GrxyWxrxn_91/pseuds/The_GrxyWxrxn_91
Summary: Neil Josten was a Fox, practicing Exy like breathing and going to class when he could find time, when he wasn’t going crazy over how good looking his boyfriends were.However, when the sun goes down, blood runs like water and it’s all Neil Josten’s fault.Part 2 of the THE RAVEN SIX series





	1. Target 1.

**Author's Note:**

> This is short, think of it like the prologue

Neil Josten had been a Fox for exactly four months now and Raven fans were coming for his blood. They were coming for all their blood. Mainly Kevin, number Two but Neil wasn’t any less targeted. 

Kevin was taking it like the champion he was, replying with a fake-ass smile and getting any frustration out on court. 

Neil wasn’t that strong. 

He had started to believe he was a fraud, a Raven in Fox uniform someone had shouted at him on the streets. He was out of place in the bright orange and white, on the Palmetto campus, living in Fox Tower. 

He would always be a Raven, no matter how hard he tried to leave that darkness behind. Those winding hallways, those dim rooms and even dimmer mental state. 

Sometimes he woke up screaming, sometimes he woke up paralysed, sometimes he couldn’t sleep and others he couldn’t get out of bed. He hauled himself around, but he didn’t feel anything as he went day by day. He was a husk of a person, sometimes able to feel affection and anger. But never anything more. 

On the morning after their first game, Neil had run. Not far, just to a coffee shop he was growing fond off. It was about an hours run from Fox Tower, perfect distance away from his troubles...and his phone. 

Andrew would probably smash his face in when he returned for leaving his phone behind, but Neil couldn’t bring himself to care. 

It was his turn to order so he reached for his credit card and scanned the menu. 

“Iced latte, four shots without to ice cream and in skim milk.” Neil ordered in the most monotone voice possible, sliding his card across the counter. 

The young man behind the counter gave him a hungry smile and scanned his card. Neil knew he was trying to hit on Neil with that sly smirk, but he didn’t bother telling him off. He was just so tired. 

Neil already had two boyfriends and certainly was not looking for a third. Certainly not this guy. 

“And name?” The young man asked, bringing the lip ring into his mouth and rasping his voice into a low growl. 

Neil actually wanted it to stay to drink he coffee, but wasn’t in the mood to argue. 

“Neil.” Neil still smiled when he got to say his new name, but this guy was ruining that for him. His name was legally changed last month and he still wasn’t over it. 

“Alright Neil, it’ll be out soon.” The young man winked and Neil went to find a seat as soon as possible. 

It wasn’t that the mans wasn’t attractive, he was, just not in the way Neil found truely attractive. 

The young man was lanky, slim and very tall. His hair was died red and he had a hooped piecing in every sensible place. He dressed like he was out of an ‘80’s movie and wore smoky eyeliner. 

Neil was more into big muscles, cold stares for anyone who wasn’t Neil, fucking great at Exy and looked like a god in running tights. Either probably had blank honey eyes or emerald ones with long eyelashes. Full lips, obviously and maybe Irish. Tanned skin, ghostly white skin. Maybe an under eye tattoo of a two or a five, he was just rolling off the fly here for a moment. 

Kevin and Andrew, those boys were Neil’s type for sure. 

Neil instantly regretted running away, he should have stayed in bed with the both of them. It was always so warm and cozy there, sometimes he would wake up with Andrew using his chest as a pillow of maybe Kevin had pulled Neil to lay on him during the night. Both the men treated Neil as baby or a play thing, it depended on the activity. 

Neil was content to let them do whatever they want to him, as long as it was within the guidelines. 

He should just go home, not even wait for the coffee, he just wanted to feel warm- feel something, for heavens sakes. He only ever felt something when he was with Kevin and Andrew. 

The young man from behind the counter -who’s name tag was Braydan- came down to sit next to Neil in his booth. 

Neil didn’t think that workers here were allowed to do that. 

“Hey there, cutie.” He Held the coffee out in front of them and Neil went to grab it. The booth Neil chose was in a corner that none of the early morning customers wanted to venture near. This meant Braydan easily pulled Neil onto his lap without anyone being able to see. 

Neil rolled his eyes, like hell this was happening. 

“Hey-“ Neil stared to climb off but Braydan kept him close. Neil felt physically sick with this guys hands over him, keeping his thighs pressed to his, chest to his. It was too close, too tight, too unfamiliar. Too not Andrew or Kevin. Too Riko. 

“Not so fast, Little rabbit.” Braydan giggled. He snaked his fingers into Neil’s red curls like he owned him. 

“Fucking let me go, creep!” Neil whisper yelled as to not draw any unwanted attention. “I have a boyfriend!” 

“Really?” Braydan looked like he wasn’t convinced in the slightest and he used his hand in Neil’s hair to bring his face to his, lips brushing. “What’s his name? Todd, John, Bill, Jeff?”

“No, their names are Andrew and Kevin. Now get off our fucking boyfriend you twink!” Neil sighed in relief when he heard Kevin raise his voice from behind him. It was too early to deal with Braydan’s nonsense. 

Braydan’s face when he saw the short blond boy holding a knife and a towering green eyed man baring his teeth at him was priceless. 

He pushed Neil onto the couch beside him and jumped to his feet. Neil grunted as he bounced of the booth and to the floor. 

“H-he threw himself at me!” Braydan declared, pointing an accusing finger at Neil who rolled his eyes. “The slut- he-“ 

“What?” Andrew raised an eyebrow in that way of his, that sexy way of his. “He was asking for it? Is that what you were about to say?” Braydan looked horrified. Yes, that’s what he had been planing on saying to convince Andrew of all people -Andrew with his past- that Neil had been trying to cheat. 

Neil would die before willingly kissing someone who wasn’t his boyfriends. 

“You fucker!” Kevin growled, calling the attention of the whole shop. Now Neil could never come back here. “Neil is Damisexual, plus, like hell he’d go for a scrawny dick like you.” 

Neil smirked, jealous Kevin was an attractive Kevin. Kevin was always attractive, but his biceps were flexing right now out of fury and Neil wanted to grab him by the-

Andrew punched the guy between the legs and Braydan collapsed. 

Neil let Kevin help him to his feet even though he was perfectly fine. Kevin searched all over Neil’s face and neck, looking for wounds probably. To on lookers, that was probably a tad bit dramatic, but considering what this could have meant back at the Nest, Neil allowed it. 

“Kev, I am fine.” Neil leant up to place a gentle kiss on Kevin’s lips before standing flat on his feet again. God, the height difference between them was so hot. “I was just about to pour my coffee on his face.” 

Kevin got the hint that Neil was perfectly fine and opted for his chest to Neil’s back hug as they watched their boyfriend threaten Braydan with a knife hidden between their bodies. 

Again, whenever Andrew threatened to kill someone-completely and utterly mouth-wateringly hot. 

“Don’t touch what you don’t have permission to ever again.” Then Andrew was dragging both of his boys out of Neil’s former favourite coffee shop. 

Neil couldn’t wait until they were home, Nicky would have classes, Erik would be at his part time work and Aaron would be hanging out with Katelyn. Empty dorm room and a very hungry Neil. 

They were almost back to the car when Neil spotted a Japanese man in a fancy suit watching from the shadows. 

Neil wanted to actually groan. Not here, not now! Not when he was so close to being alone with his fine as fuck boyfriends! Damnit! 

Neil hadn’t gotten out of bed for a week until the game and now all the times he watched Kevin and Andrew do stuff was coming back to him. He wanted to have a tantrum like when he was five years old, but then he remembered what would happen to him afterwards. 

“Hey, Kev, ‘Drew, I need the bathroom.” Neil ripped his eyes from Ichirou Moriyama to smile gently at his boyfriends. 

“Okay, Baby, we’ll be in the car.” Andrew nodded in agreement.

Neil couldn’t help himself, he stood on his tippy toes again and kissed Kevin with tongue. Then he pulled away and leant down to do the same to Andrew. 

Andrew reached around at groped at Neil before Kevin and him got in the car. 

Neil ran into the public bathrooms around the back of the coffee shop, waiting for the door to open behind him, but when it did Neil was still a bit shocked. He was always so quiet. 

“Ichirou!” Neil squeaked instead of jumping out of his skin. “Why do you use your creepy ghost walking on me?!” 

“Because it is funny, Nath-Neil.” Ichirou was still getting used to Neil’s new name, but he was trying and that was all Neil could ask for. 

The two had gotten closer, first name basis and joke sharing, over the short time they had been working together, but there was always that bit of...awkward seriousness that came with their relationship. 

Ichirou’s face set into business mode and he slid a hand gun, a bundle of orange silk and a pair of leather gloves across the bench to Neil. 

“Another gun?” Neil asked in disappointment. He picked it up, examining the firearm in detail. It was a generic gun, matte black and blocky. It was the type police officers used. A glock pistol. 

“I know it isn’t your preferred weapon, but this job calls for quick and clean action.” Ichirou reaches into his pocket for a roll of tobacco before lighting it. 

He offered it to Neil who took a single drag before handing it back. He let the smoke out of his noise. 

“A new mask because your last one was burned.” Neil still had a scar from the house fire he caused. He hadn’t been informed about the single guard with the knowledge of how to tie a person to a chair in a burning basement. “And gloves like usual.” 

“Okay, target?” Neil tucked his new possessions into his clothing, gun in his waistband, mask hidden as a headband and gloves in his pockets. 

“Braydan Frove. Attempted to steal a few hundred from my bank account last night.” Ichirou sneered. Neil recognised the name. 

“They guy from the coffee shop?” Neil made sure. Ichirou grunted a yes. “Guy fucking tried to get in my pants just ten minutes ago!” 

“Sex offender.” Ichirou said. Neil rolled his eye, good thing he was putting an end to this bitch. “Go home now. Braydan’s deadline is same time tomorrow.” 

It was cutting it close and Neil didn’t know when he was supposed to find time to get down here again, especially with his boyfriends that are definitely going to be keeping him under close eye, but he didn’t have a choice. 

“Have a good day, my Lord.” Neil bowed, an inside joke between the two, and left the grimy bathroom. 

Andrew and Kevin were making out over the gearshift. Andrew had his hands up Kevin’s shirt and Kevin was sucking all over Andrew’s neck. Andrew crawled over the gearshift onto Kevin’s lap the the two went down at the same time the seat did. 

Neil bit his lip but knocked on the window to separate the two. Seeing his boyfriends kiss was always so hot. 

Andrew flung himself back into the drivers seat, bruises spotted on his neck like usual nowadays. It was more of a surprise if they all DIDN’T have hickeys’ all over their necks than if they did. 

Kevin looked devilish in the front seat, enough for Neil to grab him by the hair and kiss him roughly after he got into his seat in the back. 

Halfway through the ride Neil was getting a bit chilly so he voiced this. Andrew didn’t even have to be asked before he was pulling over on the freeway. Kevin got out and climbed in the back next to Neil as soon as possible. 

Neil fell asleep on Kevin’s strong chest, even pretending to be asleep when Andrew carried him upstairs to their dorm, and more importantly their bed. 

“Du bist ein dummkopf.” Andrew drawled in his ear when he finally snuggled up to Neil’s chest -Kevin to his back- still thinking Neil was fast asleep. 

Neil often pretended to be asleep when he wanted cuddles because it was the only way Andrew ever would cuddle him. Yeah, Kevin loved to cuddle but there was an accomplishment when Andrew lowered his guard enough to used Neil as a pillow. 

It was nine o’clock in the morning, Neil’s phone was still going off silently on the bedside table, but by the time he got out of bed with his boyfriends, the stars were out and Nicky was screaming at Aaron for cheating in a video game. 

Yeah, Neil though and Andrew hugged him from behind as he made hot chocolate, things are good. 

Kevin lifted a spoon to Neil’s mouth, M&M ice cream entering his mouth and then using the same spoon, Kevin fed some to Andrew. 

Things are really good. 

Neil Just needed to keep throwing away his humanity to keep it that way.


	2. Target 1: Exterminated

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Neil has had enough of Braydan shit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A single gay slur, idk if that is important but warning I guess

Neil was fast and quiet, but Braydan must have some sixth sense because when Neil was just about to jump down on him from the fire escape behind the coffee shop, he had looked up and dodge the bullet. Neil had jumped off the third level platform onto his back but Braydan put up one hell of a fight. 

He had swung to the left, Neil’s body hitting the stairs and gun flying out of his hand, right to Braydan’s feet. 

“Sly motherfucker, all this because of yesterday?” Braydan grabbed the firearm and aimed it sideways at Neil’s face, right between the eyes. He looked high, eyes stoned but movements sharp and precise as Neil’s own. Braydan may actually be a worthy fight. 

“Who do you work for?” Neil sat up slowly, the metal stairs were definitely going to leave lined bruises on his back from how hard he hit them. 

“Chest Cafe, you?” Braydan smirked. 

“The Moriyama’s. Now tell me who you really work for!” Neil flexed his fingers, none of this would of happened if he had his staff. 

“I don’t think you’re in any place to be making demands.” Braydan chuckled, the barrel of the gun pressed to Neil’s brow-bone when Braydan hauled him to his feet. He pressed his whole body against Neil’s, keeping the gun in a threatening position. “Now, cutie, take off your pants and we won’t have a problem, yes?” 

Neil wanted to spit in Braydan’s sharp and gross face, but he opted for sliding his arms around Braydan’s slim waist. It was not the firm feeling of abs under shirt when Neil pressed them even closer. 

He pushed Braydan’s legs apart with his own and leant into his ear. Neil regretfully bit the pierced lobe, tongue sliding through the hollow gage. 

“Who. Do. You. Work. For?” Neil brought the leg that was slowly rolling back and forth up abruptly and Braydan collapsed against him. 

Braydan, from the ground, aimed the gun to Neil’s stomach but when he fired the bullet landed deep in the flesh of Neil’s running tight and gym short clad thigh. 

Neil didn’t even flinch when the pain spread around his body. When that wound was no more than a scar, his boyfriends would kiss it with the rest of his scars. 

Neil had a lot more scars than the rest of the five, because of his father and mother adding to the ones he already had from the Nest. 

He had an iron print on one shoulder, lighter burn marks on his arms, but his face was clear so he could hide all of the ones, except the ones on his hand. 

Jean however had most of his scars over his face. When they were teenagers and left to go out to a club or something like that, Jean would always attracted all the attention, pulling it away from Riko. Jean had girls and boys throwing themselves on his lap and Jean loved it. He was a player when Riko was less intense. But then Riko got so jealous that he distorted Jean’s face beyond repair. 

Jean’s nose would always be crooked and that big white scar over the bridge of it would always draw attention for the wrong reason. Once Jean’s full lips were cut with a switchblade, making them a bit pulled and warped nobody ever cared about him again. 

That was why Neil approved so much of Jeremy, because even though Jean was not the breathtaking boy he had once been Jeremy called Jean beautiful any chance he got. Jeremy wasn’t only with Jean because he was handsome and not mangled, he was there because he truly cared for Jean. He worshipped the ground Jean walked on and the scars on his face like it was his own special God. 

Neil shook his head, detach yourself! He was not Neil Josten when he was on a job, he was the Moriyama’s murderous lapdog. 

Although Neil missed his brother, this was not the time to think about that. 

Neil did what he did best, he began to run. He was a bit slow because of the bullet in his leg but faster than Braydan nonetheless. 

Neil stumbled into the bathroom, bloody footprints following him to the sink. He had locked the bathroom door, but Braydan was blowing off the lock with the gun. 

“You have got to be shitting me!” Neil groan, his leg screaming in pain as he crouched down on the stall floor. Lying down on a public bathroom floor with a gunshot wound in his thigh was a sure was to get an infection, but infection was better than dead. 

The door opened and the fuming Braydan stormed in, stolen pistol raised and aimed. 

Neil watched his shoes hit the laminated floor and he walked past the stall Neil was hiding in. 

“I know you’re in here, Red.” Braydan clocked the gun, the click of it making Neil’s heart quicken just a bit. “Come out, come out wherever you are.” 

Neil looked up at the piping above the toilet, a long metal pole was already falling off the wall. It was shorter than Neil’s staff, but it would do. 

Neil yanked it off the wall, a loud snap telling Braydan exactly where he was. Good. 

Neil used the back of the toilet as a step ladder, climbing onto one of the concrete roof support beams. There was about ten of them across the roof, about a metre gap between the real roof and the beams. 

Braydan swung the baby blue stall door open, bullet shattering against the brick wall in front of him. 

Neil leaped down, pole slamming into Braydan’s side. Braydan hit the toilet and Neil didn’t think he was getting up anytime soon. Neil definitely broke a few ribs. 

Neil pushed up the toilet seat, grabbed Braydan by the hair and dunked his head in the toilet water. 

Braydan clawed at the wall, fingernails peeling off paint. 

Neil let him up to breath. “Who do you work for?” He asked again. 

Braydan didn’t say anything so Neil drowned him again. 

He lasted a minute before clawing back at Neil, his skin now under his fingernails. Damnit, Neil was going to have to burn him and that will take a while, he had Exy practice in half an hour too. 

“Look, Braydan, tust tell me who it is that you Are working for, stealing money from a mafia boss for so I can get on my merry way, yes?” Neil mocked Braydan’s cocky proposition from earlier. 

“Why?” Braydan gasped. “Your boyfriends waiting for you back home to get it on?” Braydan’s head was dunked again. “You should probably call them, make sure they are still breathing, y’know.” 

“The fuck are you talking about?” Neil sneered, using the pipe under Braydan’s neck to choke him against his shoulder. 

“I know that you are going to kill me, so I’m gonna tell you.” Braydan choke out. “I was hired to steal one billion from your boss by the Matsumotos.” 

“The Matsumotos?” Neil growled, he knew of that family, what they did to the Moriyama’s. They were the ones who kicked them out of Japan. 

“Yes, yes, trying to bring the Moriyama’s to the ground or some shit like that.” Braydan brought his hands up to pull at the pipe around his neck when Neil started pulling the bar closer to him, cutting off Braydan’s air. 

“Thank you for your cooperation, Braydan.” Neil said like he always did right before-

The bathroom door opened and high heels tapped along the laminated tiles. 

“No, Jeorga, that is ridiculous.” The lady said. Neil stuffed a role of toilet paper into Braydan’s mouth, a bunch he found on the floor. “No, I said I wanted a white wedding cake, not a pink one!” 

Neil was getting a bit irritated and it didn’t held that Braydan was getting off to the strangulation. He kept pushing back on Neil. 

Neil was going to need a serious Exy practice to get all his frustrations out after this. 

“Babe, I am sorry okay?” The lady continued, she was standing in front of the mirror. “Honey, we can have the pink wedding cake, just make sure they put two brides on top, no groom. I am not being Bridezilla-Okay love you bye-bye!” The lady hung up with a chuckle. 

Damnit, Neil missed his boyfriends. 

As soon as the lady left, Neil brought to pipe back as hard as possible and Braydan’s fell limply forward, head falling into the toilet bowl. 

Thank God, He was dead. 

Neil needed a long bath with dented candles and Kevin and Andrew either side of him, but that would have to wait. 

Neil slipped into his car after burning all of Braydan’s body parts that he had dismembered and hidden in different parts of the city. It was afternoon and he had missed practice, Andrew and Kevin and Nicky and Dan and Matt AND Renee were constantly texting and calling him so he threw his phone in the boot. 

The passenger side door opened and Ichirou sat down. Both of them watched the park in front of them, little kids playing and dogs catching frisbees. And the skip next to the construction sight that Neil had dumped the last bag in. 

It was dangerous hiding a body in public, in broad daylight but Neil knew what he was doing. 

“Any information?” Ichirou started the conversation. 

“The Matsumotos are after you, planning on burning your empire to the ground.” Ichirou had only been the Lord for four months but he was already changing the Moriyama empire for the better. 

“Those sons of bitches.” Ichirou swears. “Neil, I need your help with this. You are my most trusted worker, I need you to help me stop them.”

“Of course, Ichirou. Thank you for your trust, it is an honour.” Neil bows his head. 

“Neil, my wife -Suki- She is pregnant, a baby girl.” Ichirou confessed. He smiled as he spoke. 

“Holy shit!” Neil grinned. “Ichirou, congratulations!” 

“Thank you, I am very excited to be a father, you are the first to know.” Ichirou finally turned to face Neil. “But with the Matsumotos out to wreak me, I fear for by baby girl.” 

“Ichirou, i am loyal to you and only you, i will protect you with my life, and your daughter.” Neil vowed, hand over his chest. 

“Neil, promise me that if the Matsumotos kill me, take my daughter and my wife and do what you do best and run. Because not only will they be after my family, but you.” 

“I promise.” Neil shook Ichirou’s hand. 

“My young girl is going to have the greatest uncle ever.” Ichirou passed a yellow envelope over to Neil, it was solid and thick. “Be her godfather.” 

“Yes, fuck, yes.” Neil jumped to hug Ichirou and Ichirou hugged back, chuckling. 

“Neil where the fuck were you?” Andrew doesn’t even give Neil a chance to put down his bloody clothed filled bag before pinning him to the wall. 

“A run?” Neil tried. 

“Funny.” Andrew deadpanned. “Where the fuck were you, Josten?” Andrew wrapped his hands around Neil’s throat. He raised an eyebrow. 

“I just need a break is all, a bit overwhelmed.” Neil mumbled the closest thing to the truth he could muster up without spilling out the fact that he was doing his job and Ichirou Moriyama’s personal assassin. 

“Are the People on Twitter really getting to you?” Kevin piped up from behind Andrew. Neil pouted, reaching for his softer boyfriend. Yeah, they were. Kevin stepped closer, brushing Neil’s hair back. “Baby, it’s okay. What do you want to do to make you feel better?” 

“I’d kill for a bath right now.” Neil hummed at the thought. 

“I’ll go run us one-“ Kevin started. 

“No!” Neil blurted, remembering his wounds that need fixing. “No, you and Drew are going to go stock up on snacks and buy a new movie while I bath, yeah?” 

Andrew had looked suspicious but by the time Neil mentioned snacks (a.k.a ice cream) he was already dragging Kevin out of the dorm. 

Andrew called, “Don’t drown!” At the same time Kevin called, “Bye Baby, love you.” 

Neil shivered And went to go get the bullet out of his leg. 

Kevin is sitting in the middle of the couch, Neil curled in on his side with his head on Kevin’s chest, Andrew doing the same just on the other side of Kevin. Kevin has both his arms around their waists as they watched the original Lion King because it was Andrew’s secret favourite movie and neither Neil nor Kevin had watched it. 

Neil was crying when Simba’s dad dies and Kevin is crying when Simba starts asking him to wake up. 

Neil knows that Andrew is sad too, but he is just as blank as ever, but that is what gave it away, he was too quiet in the way that was deliberate. 

“You guys are both weak children.” Andrew mumbled into Kevin’s shirt. 

“Yeah, but we are your weak children.” Neil poked Andrew’s nose with a pout and teary eyes. “And you love us.” 

Andrew blew a gust of air into Neil’s face and stood up. Neil reached out for Andrew but he was already heading into the kitchen, probably to get more ice cream from the freezer. 

Both Andrew and Kevin were in boxers and their team shirt so Neil watched Andrew leave instead of the movie. For that Kevin slapped his thigh, right were the bullet wound was hidden under bandages and sweatpants. 

Neil yelled out, vision being clouded by black stars. Neil had stitched up the skin but it was still raw and God Damn it hurt. 

“Baby?” Kevin looked Neil in the eye, his dancing with concern and guilt. Andrew had come out of the kitchen and knelt down next to Neil on the floor, gripping the back of his neck. 

“Show. Now.” Andrew said without room to argue. Kevin helped Neil stand because he was still a bit shaky. 

Neil didn’t feel weird undressing in front of them usually, but this time Neil was hiding a secret. Neil didn’t want them to fight, and he knew this was going to end in one, but he owed them this. 

Neil pulled down his sweatpants and stepped out of them. The bandage work on his upper thigh was excellent, a tight protection. It was bloodstained on the outside of it, where the bullet had got him, but there was no new blood. That was great. 

“Neil,” Kevin only called Neil by his name when he was angry so Neil dropped his head in shame. 

“Neil, you are going to tell us who the fuck did this to you and you are not going to lie.” Andrew gripped the back of his neck, keeping it up and Neil watching him. 

Kevin had dropped to the floor on his knees and was inspecting the wound without touching it. Kevin leant his forehead to Neil’s hip and sighed. 

“Who, Baby, who hurt you?” Kevin didn’t sound angry anymore, he sounded exhausted and pleading. 

“I...” Neil wasn’t going to tell them the truth because it was not his truth to tell, but he needed to figure something out. “I was out on a run this morning, not to particularly anywhere. The people on Twitter were getting to me and I just wanted an escape. I ended up in a dark part of town, I can’t remember where. There was this stall selling little rainbow flags and I wanted to get us all one.” Neil smiled sadly. 

Kevin kissed just above to bandage and it didn’t hurt too much. Andrew hadn’t changed, but his eyes were darker. 

“Some guy passing the stall obviously didn’t like it, I tried to tell him to calm down and just get a fucking hobby but then he pulled a gun out on me. He said something about hating red headed fags before he ran away.” Neil shrugged. 

“That’s it!” Andrew growled, grabbing at that same red hair that Neil shared with his father. “I am going to find this prick and end him.” 

“No need, Drew.” Neil pressed a small kiss to the five on his cheek. He looked down at Kevin next, leaning down to kiss the two on his cheek. “I already reported him. I was at the police station all day.” 

Kevin stood up and wrapped Neil in such a loving hug. Neil began to cry into his chest, obviously forcing the tears for a more believable lie. 

He hated lying to Andrew and Kevin, he hated it so much. He hated lying to them like he hated not being able to kiss them in public or hold their hands or tell them he loved them. 

“I love you guys so fucking much.” Neil whispered because he had been hurt today, but tomorrow he may be killed. “I want to spend every moment with you guys.” 

“We love you too, Baby.” Kevin peppered kisses all over Neil’s face and neck and hair. “Even if Andrew won’t admit it.” 

Speaking of the blond, he had sat back down on the couch and was eating the entire tub of ice cream. 

“Really Drew?” Kevin raises an eyebrow.

“What? Can you feel the lie tonight is about to play and that is the best song from the movie. Now shut up and cuddle me, Neil Fucking Josten.”


	3. Target 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Neil gets a new name and a new weapon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, short and not too detailed because I got bored but still wanted to write
> 
> Gay slur and red head slur

Neil was on the side lines for a month! A month! He hadn’t had sex in a month either! A MONTH! 

It didn’t help that his boyfriends were-

Yes, yes, okay Neil Josten had two stunning hunks of men for boyfriends! 

Neil tagged a long to night practice still, but he was never on court. He sat on the side with his racket perfectly balanced between his hands and watched. 

He hated watching. 

He walked up and down the rows of seats, twirling his racket absent-mindedly like his staff. Neil missed his staff, he had broken it on the last mission and the Moriyama’s were getting him a new one. 

This new one would have sharp blade ends and would be able to brake in two on purpose. It was going to be hollow steel and stronger than his last aluminium one. The hollowness came in handy when he had the transport stuff, like poison or blood. 

Neil was so excited to get it, it would feel perfect in his grip, making him dangerous again. 

Neil hated guns, he had been at the business end of too many. He loved his staff because he had grown up being taught it by a private tutor who he loved. Her name was Akiyma and she was the nicest woman Neil remembered knowing. 

But she was dead now. Killed, by his father when he found the laughing and not practicing the art of murder. 

That was why Neil was so great at Exy, he was fast from running and knew how to use a pole as a weapon. 

He imagined doing Ichirou’s jobs for him, mask to cover his face, gloves, all black classic assassin outfit that all the Moriyama assassins had to wear and his staff like a second heartbeat clutched to his chest. 

In his mind he was protecting the people he cared for, Dan and Matt who he had grown fond of, Andrew and Kevin who he loved like he loved breathing, Suki, Ichirou and their daughter. 

Speaking of the young Moriyama, they had decided on a name since her birth was due next week. 

That had decided on Nathania after Neil’s dead name. He didn’t know how he felt about someone being named after him, especially a name he fought so hard to escape and leave behind. 

“Neil Josten!” Andrew yelled from the door to the court. “Come down here now, we are hot, sweaty and horny!” 

Neil had never run so fast in his life. 

“My dude,” Matt laughed out, people turned to look at them, “You are covered in hickies!” He cackled loud enough for everybody to hear. 

“Matt, Jesus!” Neil whispered. 

Matt grabbed his arms and studied Neil’s naked chest then looked down at his legs. 

“Usually the are just on your neck, now they are between your legs!” Matt was too giddy about his best friends sex life. Neil was going bright red in embarrassment and he tried to run away from Matt, but he held on tight. “Am I going to have the no boys in your room talk with you, son?” 

“Son?” Neil choked out, from embarrassment and from shock. 

“Ha, yeah, son.” Matt hugged him tightly and shook him side to side, Neil’s feet off the sand. 

“Matt, put my boyfriend down unless you have a shirt on.” Kevin playfully grabbed Neil from Matt and held him like a koala to a tree. 

Neil loved it when he got to be the kola, of course Kevin only got to be the kola in bed because Neil wasn’t that strong. 

Neil leant in to kiss Kevin, neck tasting like sunscreen from the copious amounts he had applied. Ever since last time all the Foxes went to the beach and Kevin got sunburnt beyond belief, Kevin never left to house without sunscreen. 

Neil hated the taste but kept lapping at Kevin’s throat. Neil put his hands in Kevin’s hair, pulling his head back so he had more room to mark. 

Kevin was murmuring encouragement into Neil’s ear and they completely forgot they were in public. 

That was until something hit him in the back of the head. Kevin set Neil down on the sand, and picked up a bottle of sunscreen that had been hurled into Neil’s head. 

“God hates fags!” Someone-the man who had thrown the bottle at Neil- yelled at them, covering his wife’s eyes like she would be scarred for like. 

“Then why are we so cute?” Neil retaliated, fed up with homophobic bullshit. 

A new, younger boy stepped between the prick and Neil. He looked just as angry. 

“Don’t speak to my father that way, ranga!” He said with a thick Australian accent. 

Neil knew that word, ranga from the Ravens. They had called him by it instead of his actual name. 

Neil flinched so extremely that his neck cracked. The Ravens. The Ravens. Riko. 

“I know you like this, pathetic ranga.” Riko had pulled on Neil’s red hair savagely whenever he could, throwing him the the floor, bashing him, grabbing him by the hair and spitting that word into his face like venom. 

“Hey, leave us the fuck alone!” Kevin grabbed Neil’s waist but he tore away from Kevin like he was the plague. 

“Looks like rejection.” The Australian guy barked out a laugh. “Serves you right, disgusting waste of space fags are.” 

“Shut the fuck up, you lowlife piece of shit!” Neil snapped, racing forward and throwing his fist into the guys face before he could even register. 

The guy was a lot older than him, and stronger. However, Neil was a trained assassin and there was no beating him. 

He brought this guy down onto the sand, beating his face in. His knuckles were stained with scum blood but he couldn’t care, there was so much rage inside of him, so much pent up anger from the years he had to keep it hidden. 

Neil was being pulled off by Kevin before he could do too much damage, but Neil twisted free and pounced. He jumped as high as he could, which was super high, and landed on his shoulders. He slammed him forward, suffocating him in the sand. 

Kevin was struggling to get him off of the Australian guy, Andrew and Matt were trying desperately to seperate them before Neil killed the guy. 

He was so mad. 

Neil had never been this mad and he didn’t really know why. 

Yeah, this guy had called him a ranga and a fag but that wouldn’t be the first time Neil had been called that. 

Perhaps it was because he could actually fight back now, without being punished by Riko. 

That idea made him light. He was detached from his body, watching himself beat this guy. He felt no shame, no guilt no remorse. He only felt white hot, boiling, furious rage. 

“Neil Josten!” 

Neil froze, he dropped his fist and jumped to his feet. 

Ichirou stood before him, grey suit tailored and face as hard as stone. He was holding a case, and Neil knew that was his staff. 

“My Lord-“ 

“Follow me.” Ichirou said without room for argument. Andrew stepped forward to push between but Neil was already following, just give him his bo staff. 

He heard his name being called, did he listen? No. He wanted his fucking staff. 

Once they were out of the eye of the others, Ichirou slapped Neil’s shoulder, offering him a proud smile. 

“Good Job on laying down that guy.” Ichirou said most in formally. 

“Thanks, the bitch deserved it.” Ichirou laughed but nodded an agreement. 

They found a cute cafe not to far from the beach, but far enough. They sat in the furthest seat from anyone, including the front door so if anyone ran past looking for Neil, they wouldn’t be spotted. 

Neil ordered a iced coffee, quadruple shot, no ice cream and on skim milk. Ichirou got a chocolate thick shake, which Neil laughed at him for. 

After the coffees (and thick shake) came Ichirou lay the case on the table between them. 

It was beautiful oak wood, carved along the edges with the Moriyama family logo. The handle was brown leather and inside was red velvet. 

Inside was also the most beautiful bo staff Neil had ever laid his eyes on. 

It was in its small form right now, about the size of a baton. But when Neil pressed a button, it extended into a six foot long weapon. 

It was carved with vines at each end, up to the leather grips. It was elegant but deadly, like lace draped over a blade. Beautiful, but disastrous. 

Neil Josten in every way. 

“Holy shit, Ichirou, it’s fucking beautiful.” He gasped. Neil touched one of the bladed ends, it drew blood with little less than a prick. 

“Name it.” Ichirou said. 

Neil retracted the staff before people caught a glimpse of the weapon. 

“Akuma.” Neil said without pause. He had been thinking over what to call his new weapon since he broke the last one, that one had been called Yami, meaning Darkness. Akuma meant Demon. 

“Perfect.” Ichirou smiled. “Now, a Name for yourself.” 

“But only soldiers on the front line get names- holy shit!” Neil shot up. 

He was going to be on the front line, the main defence, the-

“No. You are still my personal Assassin, but I thought you deserved a name.” Ichirou sipped his thick shake, trying to hide his smile. 

Have ‘a name’ in the Moriyama Assassin’s was like...being part of the royal family! It only happened to people chosen, and rarely anyone was chosen. 

Neil’s father was chosen by Kengo, when he was twenty four. He chose the name Butcher for his favourite weapon. 

Neil didn’t want to do anything like that, no. He wanted to do something Japanese, something scary. 

“Yasha.” Neil grinned. Ichirou rolled his eyes. 

“Night Devil and his deadly staff, Demon.” Ichirou mocked. It didn’t sound to bad, Yasha and his weapon of death, Akuma. 

“Also, i have a new target for you, Yasha.” Ichirou went into all business mode. “His name is John McDonald. Ex-con, he just got out of prison for murder. Murder of my grandfather.” 

“I’ll kill the son of a bitch.” Neil growled. 

“No, the man was fine. My grandfather was a prick till the very end. He acted for the Matsumotos, I want you to find out what he knows.” 

“Yes.” 

“Don’t kill him, I need him to send a message.” Ichirou began packing up Neil’s staff and Neil pouted. “Tell him to tell the Matsumotos that I am not as easy to get rid of as my father.”


	4. Target 2: Exterminated

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Secrets come out

Neil thought that the name John McDonald promised a boring man, and he was right. 

Neil found the man in his apartment, sipping tea in an old leather armchair while he watched an antique show on his television. 

This was going to be easy. 

He had salt and pepper hair, beer belly and white upon white skin, almost paler than Jean Moreau which was an achievement. 

He would nod along to what the host was saying on the TV while getting shortbread cookies crumbs in his moustache. 

Neil hated that this man was his first Target as a named one. This boring man, a waste of his time. 

Still, Neil was dressed up in his gear: black pants that were skin tight and easy to move around in with a dagger strapped to his thigh, heeled boots with buckles instead of laces and two dagger hidden in each, hooded...almost poncho thing in black with a skin tight shirt underneath, silk mask to cover up to his nose and hood to hide his unmistakable red hair. 

His staff was tied to his back and there were two handguns hidden in the back of his waistband. 

He was realising that he probably brought to many weapons with him. He heard that this man had killed a Moriyama, so he packed to kill one himself. 

Neil waited on the rooftop of the opposite building, watching from the edge of the roof. He could see perfectly into the room John sat in and when he wanted to strike, all he would have to do would be to glide down the washing line between the two buildings. 

Just when he was about to zip line across the door to the apartment opened for a tattooed and muscular man to walk in. He set down a box in front of John and leant over to hug him, like an old friend. This man seemed to young to be friends with John, and John didn’t have any family left. 

Neil wondered what was in that box. 

He was going to wait for the man to leave, but then he pulled out a military firearm. It had the marine symbol printed on it. 

Neil adjusted his mask, making sure it was covering his face well enough before he jumped. 

Yasha used his Akuma to glide down the washing line and in through the open window of the Target’s apartment. 

He landed on his feet and both of them men already inside jumped up, the tattooed one holding the gun to his head. 

Yasha threw two daggers at the man, making him fall back onto the couch and stay there with the blades keeping his hands to the arms of the armchair, going through his palm. 

Yasha would deal with him later. 

Yasha turned to his Target, eyes cold as ice and sharp as a needle. 

“Who are you?” The Target sounded shaken and afraid. 

“Yasha,” He replied, “sent by the Moriyama’s.” 

Yasha watched the recollection wash over the Target’s face, he grew terrified. The Target shook, lip wobbling. He backed up, hands in front of his face. 

Pathetic. 

Yasha approached, not a single squeak from the old floor boards sounded. He stood in front of the Target who struggled to keep his eyes open. He was muttering ‘please’ under his breath and Yasha flinched. 

Yasha has promised that he was separate from Neil Josten in every way, they did not have the same friends or foes, feelings or weaknesses. 

But the word please still broke through that facade of his. 

He struggled to pull himself together, not letting any memories flood his brain. He tried not to let Andrew slip into his thoughts, of the things he had to endure. Of Kevin who thought that word made him weak. Of Aaron who couldn’t say it, couldn’t ask for mercy. Of Jean who felt guilty still whenever he had to say it, like he didn’t deserve the right to that word. Of Nicky who had no reason to believe it would ever work in his favour. 

The Nest and Riko has broken many things about the five, including Nicky, but the ability to ask for help or for mercy is one of the greatest things inside them all that was shattered to a million pieces. 

Yasha shook his head, he was not Neil Josten. He held the pointed end of his Akuma to the Targets throat, pricking the skin just enough to draw a droplet of blood.

“Just tell me what you want and I’ll give it to you!” The Target cried when he hit a table so he couldn’t run away anymore. “Anything, just please don’t hurt me.” 

Yasha scoffed, eyes cold and deadly as ice glaring daggers at the Target. 

“Why are the Matsumotos striking now?” Yasha growled, bladed end of Akuma pressing a little harder. “What do they want?” 

The Target sobbed and Yasha kicked his gut out of impatience, the Target falling back onto the table and Yasha jumped, feet landing either side of his head. 

Akuma swiped across his cheek, opening a long, thin cut that followed the bone under his skin. It wasn’t deep and wouldn’t scar, but it clearly hurt. The Target yelled, clutching the knife wound at his cheek. His tears slipped into the open cut, making it sting like a wasp sting. 

“Why and What!” Yasha demand more violently. 

“I-I don’t know!” The Target cried. “I only did one job for them, they had my family! After I was caught they were all killed, they cut me off after that! Please, i don’t know anything.” 

Yasha knelt, gripping the Target’s chin with his index finger and thumb, pulling his face to the side so he could check behind his ear. 

There was a number tattooed between his hairline and ear, type writer printed number of 10274 faded but still clear. 

“I don’t appreciate being lied to!” Yasha slammed the Target’s head back hard enough to create a concussion. 

The number, it meant you were hired by the Matsumotos for a long period of time, for many jobs. It was faded, meaning it hasn’t been touched up since he was a free man last. Didn’t mean he wasn’t working for them still, once loyal to the Matsumoto’s, always loyal to the Matsumoto’s. 

“It is either face me or the Lord and trust me, I am much more kind than my master.” Yasha seethed, Akuma coming down to push hard against the Target’s throat, not hard enough to crush, just bruise. 

“The Matsumoto’s has a deal with Kengo Moriyama, stay out of Japan and we let you do whatever you want.” The Target rambled in Japanese and Yasha was reminded of the other presents in the room. “They think Ichirou is a threat, they want to eliminate him! The family thinks he will do something to come back to Japan and since his empire has grown to the size of the Matsumoto’s and they think that Ichirou will try to over throw them!” 

Yasha petted the Target’s cheek, a hidden smile under the mask, his Butcher smile. 

“Now that wasn’t so hard, was it?” Yasha rose to his feet, backfliped onto the floor.

With his back turned to the Target, Yasha said, “Tell the Matsumoto’s that Ichirou Moriyama is o lot harder to kill than his father, and that Yasha will kill any threat.” 

And the Target was bounding out of the room, out of the building, out of the state, out of the country. 

Yasha turned to the tattooed man he had pinned to the armchair. Tattoo Guy grinned at him, eyebrows raised into sharp peeks. 

“You gonna kill me, Yasha?” Tattooed Guy mocked. “Trust me, I’ve dealt with more dangerous people than a midget like you.”

Yasha padded over the the man, contemplating him and the gun by his feet. He picked up the gun, examined it. 

“I don’t know an awful lot about firearms, but this looks to be a weapon from the US marine service.” Yasha pointed the barrel to the mans head, he moved up to touch his forehead to the cool metal. “You apart of the services?” 

“Indeed I am, Sir.” The man chuckled, falling back into the seat. He wrapped his legs around Yasha’s own and jerked him closer. Yasha barely stumbled and broke free. “Drake Spear, happy to make the-“ 

Yasha became Neil Josten and Neil Josten became enraged. He kicked over the chair, hands shaking with pure, burning, infectious rage. 

The armchair fell back and Drake grunted when it did. Neil yanked out the blades from Drakes hands, slamming them down into his shoulder, ripping down to his elbows. 

Drake gasped inward, smile gone and blood drenched his shirt and pain was clouding his mind. 

Good, thought Neil, I want you to feel the pain you inflicted on Andrew and more. 

“You-“ Neil growled, seethed, cursed-Whatever it was it sounded murderous. “You monster!” 

Neil’s hands wrapped around Drake’s thick throat, this time with the intention of blood and pain and murder. 

He was going to kill this monster and go home, not an ounce of guilt eating away at him. Neil was going to ruin this monster and go home, give Andrew as much love as possible with the hands that killed his biggest demon. 

“Do we know each other?” Drake hissed. 

“Remember Andrew Minyard?” Neil pushed harder until Drake’s face was red and a vein was protruding in his temple. He let go, not wanting him dead just yet, he was going to drag this along as far as possible. 

“Sweet little AJ, yes I remember him.” Drake was back to cackling while choking. 

Neil stabbed a dagger into Drake’s muscular gut, twisting it. 

“Well, let me tell you how far he has come since your sadistic actions.” Neil twisted the knife again and Drake winced but smiled wickedly. “He can sleep in the same bed as both of his boyfriends without waking up once, he can be touched, can smile slightly even, he can feel things for once.” Neil jerked to knife down, handle grazing the waistband of his jeans. “All this took him nineteen years, because of you! You ruined a perfectly good boy!” 

Neil unbuckled Drakes jeans and used the knife to create a bigger space. 

With one swipe of the dagger and with Drake unable to fight him off, Neil had castrated Drake. He cut off his hands as well and then halfway cut off the monsters head. 

Neil left him there, to be found, do be found out. 

Before Neil ran he scratched a word into the beasts chest, RAPIST, in big sharp words. 

Neil whistled as he waltzed into the dorm room, hands in his pockets and a smug smile splitting his face. 

When he closed the door behind him, Neil was shocked to turn around to the whole dorm room inhabitants. 

Aaron sat on the floor, using the coffee table as a backboard. Nicky shared the armchair with Erik but was watching Neil intently. Kevin sat on the long couch, head in his hands and knees brought up to his chest. Andrew looked blankly at him, cross legged and cross armed, but blank. So blank. 

“You’re an idiot,” Someone-Not Someone, Ichirou- said from the kitchen doorway. “How did you slip up so bad, Neil?” 

Neil turned to face his Friend, he looked disappointed and frustrated. He was dressed as always, bags under his eyes from the lack of sleep a new baby brought and clearly tied, but still serious. 

“You just left the body there, ID’s and everything. You know better.” Ichirou pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. “Not only that, but you personalised it, you narrowed down the list of subjects to a select group of people- Andrew could be-“ 

“Shut up,” Neil snapped. He knew he messed up, but he didn’t regret it, not for a moment. “You know that i know how to deal with this sort of stuff, so I don’t see the problem-“

“No, Neil, you never do!” Ichirou snapped at him, voice raised. “You never think about how your personal vendetta! Last time you barely escaped arrest, I had to pull some serious stings to get you out!” 

“Last time?” Kevin called attention to the rest of the audience. “Neil, how long has this been going on for?” 

“Since we left the Nest.” Neil admitted and Kevin laughed out of shock. He let his head hand back and he shook his head. 

“That is five fucking months, Neil!” Kevin exclaimed, shock making his voice all dreamy and light. “And you lied to us-to Andrew and I?” 

“Look, i didn’t have a choice, Kev. You really don’t want to be part of this, it’s dangerous.” Neil sighed, he had been so happy and now he was so tired. He couldn’t deal with this right now, he had blood under his nails and his back hurt. 

“Why you?” Aaron spoke up and Neil was still adjusting to his voice, it sounded so much like Andrew’s-fuck Andrew. 

“My father, he was Kengo’s personal Assassin, but Ichirou doesn’t really like him -understandably of course- so he hired me, it was my fathers condition on letting us all go- to ‘continue the family business’” Neil put air quotes on the last sentence. He rolled his eyes, hoping to release some of the tension in the room. 

“Look, this doesn’t matter,” Ichirou declared and the tension easily shifted from Neil to him. “Neil, you need to be punished, i don’t want to but-“ 

“No.” 

Everyone looked over to Andrew who was still as stone faced and disinterested as always. 

“What?” Ichirou bit out.

“I said no.” Andrew looked him dead in the eye, not backing down, instead he stood up, shoulders bunched being the only sign that he cared at all. “Let me take care of this. You can leave now, Moriyama.” 

Neil was shocked at how blunt Andrew treated Ichirou, Lord of the American mafia. 

“Minyard-“ 

“I don’t like to repeat myself but I will say this one more time, you can leave now.” 

The bedroom door locked behind Andrew and Neil was genuinely terrified of what was about to happen. Kevin couldn’t even look at him, couldn’t bare to look at him. 

Neil sat on his bed, Andrew glaring down at him and Kevin watching his shoes from the other end of the room. 

He felt so far away, Neil hated it. Neil hated that he was doing this to him, making him hurt. 

He wanted to call him close, convince him that there was nothing different about himself. 

“How many?” Kevin asked, barely above a whisper. “How many people did you kill?”

Neil choked, a strange sound ripping from his throat and out his mouth. 

That was what Kevin thought of him now, a killer, a murder, a monster?

In truth, Neil didn’t know the answer, there were too many, too many faces that they all just melt together. 

“Kev, I...don’t...a lot.” Neil winced at Kevin shifting to get further away from him. “Baby-don’t!” Neil pleaded. “I’m sorry, okay! Don’t think of me like that. I can’t deal with it, Kev.” 

“You are a murder, Neil!” Kevin shouted, booming voice loud enough to make Neil flinch visibly. “How else am I supposed to think of you?” 

“Like your fucking boyfriend, Kevin!” Neil stood up and Kevin flinched. He was afraid. Afraid of Neil. Neil felt like throwing up at the realisation. His eyes had this pressure behind them that felt strange and he had to make himself remember this was the feeling before he started to cry. “I am not a monster. I was trying to protect you, to protect Andrew and Aaron and Jean! You think I fucking wanted to kill all those people?” 

“You killed Drake on your own.” Andrew finally said something. 

“Because I was fucking protecting you!” Neil yelled, frustration seeping into his words. He was so tired, so tired of killing and maiming. He just wanted to be a normal teenager. He just wanted to play Exy and wake up with his boyfriends next to him and have fun with Matt and Dan and Allison. “Everything I’ve done, every person I killed was to keep you all out of the Nest. Andrew, I thought you’d understand.” 

They never talked about Tilda’s death or Riko’s, it was an unspoken agreement to never bring it up, but Neil needed to make them understand. 

“That was two people, and they ere bitches.” Kevin murmured. 

“The people I killed were cons, criminals, killers themselves!” He probably shouldn’t be yelling about these things so loudly but he was so god damn tired. “I can’t deal with you guys hating me. Hating myself is already so fucking exhausting!” 

Andrew caught Neil’s face in a rough grab, bringing their face so close that Neil couldn’t help but sigh at the familiarity of it. 

“Neil Josten,” Andrew began to whisper, fingers digging into his skin, “tell me, no lies, is that true?” 

“I wanna fucking die, Drew.” Neil sighed, releasing that feeling that has been settling in his chest for so many years. He heard a sound from the other side of the room that was probably Kevin sucking in a breath, or gasping.

“Don’t leave me.” Neil gripped onto Andrew’s black jumper, keeping him close. “Don’t.” He didn’t know how to beg him without the word please so he felt it at that, hoping, knowing that Andrew and Kevin would hear the hopeless pleading in his voice. 

Kevin came up behind him, his towering body enveloping around Neil’s smaller one in such a way that Neil let out a built up sob. He leant back into Kevin, bringing Andrew with him so all three of them were as close as possible, only when they didn’t pull away did Neil feel a bit of relief. 

“As Long as you promise to not leave us.” Kevin kissed Neil’s ear and Neil sobbed a yes. God, he’s been trying to actually cry for five months now and it was just so great to be able to let it out, finally. He let the sobs wrack through him, enjoying the weight lifting off his chest. 

Andrew rubbed his thumbs up Neil’s cheeks, catching his tears and covering his tattoo. Kevin held onto Neil’s hips and brushed his lips lovingly on Neil’s neck and shoulder. 

“Thank you.” Andrew pressed his forehead to Neil’s, kissing it first. “Thank you, Neil.” 

Neil knee that he was saying ‘thank you’ for the honesty of his feelings, for needing him, for killing Drake. 

Neil brought Andrew in for a kiss, soft and slow. It conveyed all his love, all his sadness, all his guilt. Andrew took all of it, embracing it, taking it away from Neil. 

The kiss didn’t stop after just a brush of lips and Neil moves his hands to Andrew’s hair, hovering just above the golden mass. Andrew nodded and Neil slipped his fingers through the locks. 

While this was going on, Kevin had reached to Andrew, pulling on his waist and kissing Neil’s neck. 

When Neil and Andrew broke apart, Kevin caught Andrew’s lips, giving him a bruising kiss before turning to Neil and doing the same. 

Neil turned around, jumping up like he always did while kissing Kevin. He wrapped his legs around Kevin’s waist and fingers deeply buried in Kevin’s brown hair. 

Andrew had disappeared from behind Neil, but he would be back soon so Neil sucked on Kevin’s bottom lip. 

“I fucking love you, Kev.” Neil grumbled into the mans ear, kissing the patch of skin beneath it. 

“Love you too, Baby.” Kevin spoke into Neil’s auburn curls. Neil immediately melted into Kevin at him pet name. 

He stopped kissing Kevin aggressively, instead, returned to his mouth and laid a somber, beautiful kiss there. 

Neil startled a little when his shirt was pushed up to expose his back, but relaxed when Andrew returned to litter kisses along his scared back. 

Andrew covered Neil’s ears, but he felt Andrew’s lips moving on his back to formulate words. He was speaking to Kevin and next thing he knew, Neil was gently set down to the bed with Kevin floating above him. 

Neil smiled a small smile, sweet and in the dark, a dim light. Neil still kissed Kevin calmly and softly as Kevin moved between Neil and the wall, lying on his side but head bent over to kiss Neil on a mostly above angle. 

Andrew got onto the bed, using his index and thumb to bring Neil’s head to roll to the left and kiss him. Neil wrapped an arm around Andrew’s waist so he wouldn’t fall off the bed and used his other hand to tangle in Kevin’s hair when he started travelling down Neil’s body. 

Andrew helped Kevin get Neil’s shirt off before going back to making Neil dizzy with his mouth. Andrew kisses Neil like the world started and ended with his mouth, that the world was going to end on thirty seconds. Neil tried to kiss him back just the same, but that was hard to do when Kevin was tracing all his scars with his tongue. 

“Fuck,” Neil gasped, trying to get as much air into his lungs in the short brake Andrew gave him. 

Kevin moved from lapping at Neil’s waistband to his chest, sucking bruises into his right peck. 

Neil panted into Andrew’s mouth, breathless but also breathless. He couldn’t take in anymore oxygen with Andrew sucking it all out of him. 

After about a minute of breathless kissing and Kevin marking him, they switched. 

Kevin was kissing him rough, but loving. It was just as breathtaking as Andrew’s soft, long kiss. Kevin’s was short moments of tongue against tongue and teeth biting in lip, it was brain melting. 

Andrew was now the one worshipping Neil’s body, scraping his teeth down Neil’s nipple before crawling down with his lips dragging along mountains and valleys of scar tissue and tanned skin. 

Like Kevin did, he returned to Neil’s chest, sucking marks into his left peck this time. 

Neil couldn’t keep focus on just one of the men worshipping him. It was so difficult. 

Kevin called his attention back with his tongue making Neil’s dance with his. 

Neil had a hand in each of his boyfriends hair, pulling him closer to him. 

Kevin gave Neil a brake, a chance to finally catch his breath. Neil’s mouth was wide open, tongue out like a dog panting. His face was warm and eyelids too heavy to lift. 

Kevin pushed two fingers into Neil’s mouth and Neil immediately went to work, sucking on them. 

He knew that Kevin and Andrew were kissing heatedly over his chest that ached with bruises, a nice ache. 

Next there was a weight between Neil’s legs and a mouth on his, different people. He knew it was Kevin’s lips taking him apart with a kiss and Andrew’s lips taking him apart bellow. 

Neil couldn’t even remember his own name by the time Andrew crawled up between him and wall, licking his lips and collapsing deep into the bed and Kevin on Neil’s other side. 

Neil was pretty sure he had blacked out because neither of the men in his bed were sporting a tent. 

Neil was floating, was Andrew speak? Kevin maybe? Neil had no idea, he didn’t really feel real. He felt outside his body, floating nowhere and everywhere in perfect bliss. 

There was a glass of water pressed to his lips and Neil assumed he was supposed to drink, so he did, leaning heavily on a chest, maybe Kevin. Whoever it was began rocking him back and forth, humming or maybe speaking? It sounded like humming so Neil smiled, joining. He knew the song, subconsciously. 

“Baby?” Kevin was saying into his ear, so it was Kevin holding him. Huh. 

“Pet?” Andrew cupped his face and Neil fluttered his eyes open, pretty. Andrew was so pretty. Always so pretty. He had these faint freckles across his nose and cheeks. 

Neil was so high on bliss. 

“Tired,” Neil mumbled out, turning his face into Kevin’s chest. Oh, he was sitting up now. 

Andrew brushed his hair from his face, lips slightly turned up at the side, barely. “It’s okay, Pet. Sh, just drink.” Neil sipped on the water, covering Andrew’s hands holding the glass with his own. 

“Pet...” Neil giggled into Kevin’s chest when he was done the water. 

“Do you like it?” Andrew kissed his cheek. Neil hummed a yes, tired. Neil was really tired. 

They stayed like this, Kevin stroking his hair, kissing his temple and Andrew slowly talking him out of Neil’s weird haze. 

Neil yawned, more tied than he ever had been at the Nest, working on 16 hour days. 

The three laid down at last, Neil being sandwiched between his boyfriends. 

Although Neil was out of that strange daze, he still felt blissful as he fell asleep to fluttering kisses and sweet words.


	5. Target 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jeremy, Nicky, Dan, Allison and Neil dress up for Eden’s and their partners can’t even

Neil sat at a big, round, glass table with new and old faces around him. 

His contract sat in front of him, open to where his signature was sprawled messily across the paper. Above, in neat printed letters said, this contract remains permanent until future changes are made. 

‘Until future changes are made’ 

In some random building owned by the Moriyama’s, every single one of the Foxes, Jean and Jeremy sat across from Ichirou, Nathan Wesninski, Tetsuji and an arsenal of body guards. It was a strange show. 

Aaron had reverted back to his mute ways when they had all entered to the three men chatting in hushed voices. 

“Neil,” Ichirou began sternly and Andrew’s grip on Neil’s thigh grew tighter, “do you accept these terms and conditions without argument?” 

“I do, Sir.” It felt strange to call his old friend by authority, but in formalities it was compulsory. 

“Do you understand that whenever I call upon you, you must obey?” Ichirou asked. 

“I do.” Neil nodded. 

“And do you understand that you are still owned by my family?” Ichirou slid the fountain pen across the table with a sad smile. 

“I...do...” Neil took the pen, hand shaking. 

“Then sign.” Neil did so, and just like that, Yasha disappeared like sand through fingers. He had chosen Andrew, Kevin and the Foxes over this, over Ichirou. Ichirou was like his brother, Nathania was his goddaughter. Neil didn’t know what this meant for their relationship, but he didn’t want to loose him. Not completely. 

“Your gear.” Nathan bit and Neil flinched so violently out of his thoughts. 

Neil whimpered as he pushed the case over the conference table. The last time he had held Akuma, he was packing it away forever. He had cried a bit, but Kevin had made it better by lending his chest to cry into. 

Kevin still didn’t understand why this was so important to Neil, why he loved every moment of carrying that staff or using his training. Neil hated the killing but he loved everything else, the control he had never been given before and the natural act of fighting. 

Kevin would never understand why giving this all up hurt Neil so bad, why it was such a difficult choice to make. 

Neil had accepted the fact that Kevin was clueless, as long as he didn’t think Neil was a monster, it was okay. 

Nathan grabbed the case from Neil, a sick smile splitting his face as he held the only thing that made Neil feel safe. The closest thing that he would ever get to stealing Neil joy, because he couldn’t ever get to Andrew or Kevin. 

Ichirou stood, indicating the end of the meeting. Neil couldn’t move. He stared at the contract like he couldn’t read the words. 

He was a normal teenager, finally, it’s what he wanted. So why did it feel so wrong?

“Junior,” Nathan had wrapped his hand around Neil’s throat from behind Neil’s seat, squeezing just enough to make him short of breath. “You never stop disappointing me.” 

Nathan let go, tugging on Neil’s hair as he left the room, Akuma in his hand. 

Neil was shaking, he knew he was. His skin burnt where his fathers skin had touched his. He didn’t know if it would bruise, reminding Neil every time he looked in the mirror of what he had done, who he had let down again. 

Neil’s hand slid down his thigh to cover Andrew’s. Neil didn’t look at him when he said, “Get me out of here.” with a quivering voice. 

Neil knew once he got home that he wouldn’t be able to get out of bed. 

Andrew’s hand crawled up Neil’s arm before wrapping around his waist to hold him up. 

“Kevin,” Andrew called to Neil’s other side. He held out his free hand for the glass of water that Kevin had. Kevin passed it to him and Andrew pressed it to Neil’s lips. “Drink, Pet.” 

Neil didn’t want water, he wanted to leave. Now. So he did that, pushing to his feet, the glass of water falling out of Andrew’s hand and spilling all over the floor and table. 

Kevin said his name but Neil was running out of the room. He pushed past the Foxes and Wymack that were waiting in the lobby. There was a shit ton of press outside 

The public were under the impression that this meeting was to figure out if the five would be returning to the Ravens next year. Most people were hoping it was a yes and that fucking disgusted Neil. 

“Stop him before he does anything stupid!” Andrew yelled from the elevator. Neil was just about to give those reporters a real news story before Matt dove out to tackle him away from the door. 

“Fuck off, Mathew!” Neil punched at Matt’s shoulder but there was chance of Neil being able to push him off. “Matt I swear to god!” 

Matt had Neil’s cheek pressed to the marble floor, arms pinned to hs back. Neil could easily push him off, but he didn’t want to break Matt’s arm. 

Black boots came to stand in front of Neil’s face. Neil followed the short legs to a short torso and then to Andrew’s irritated face. Actually, it was blank, but his eyes looked pissed. 

“Behave.” Andrew said, final. Neil shoved Matt off him without hurting him too much and stood. He didn’t bolt for the door. Andrew leant into Neil’s ear and muttered, “Do I have to fucking handcuff you again, Pet?” 

Neil blushed, biting his lip. “No, Drew.” 

“Than behave and don’t run, yes?” Andrew gripped the back of Neil’s neck. 

“Yes, Drew.” Neil bowed his head and Andrew let go of him. “Can we leave now?” 

In replacement of a verbal answer, Andrew nodded to Wymack who was watching anxiously from next to the bodyguards. Wymack grunted before declaring to the rest of the Foxes that it was time to go. 

They pushed through the press, the bodyguards stopping them from being grabbed by fans or just really intense reporters. The Foxes were still yelled at, questions or threats to the five or screams of adoration. 

They got to the bus without to much issue. 

Someone had yelled, “GO RAVENS! REST IN PEACE RIKO!” And Neil had almost punched the girl. Kevin helped him back, but Neil still sent a murderous sneer to the clueless girl. No doubt that would be trending on twitter by the end of the day, he wouldn’t be able to open Twitter without having death threats thrown in his face. 

Finally, back in the bus where the screams to mostly muffled Neil could relax. The Five, Nicky, Erik and Jeremy all went to the back. 

Nicky and Erik were cuddling in the left side seats, Jean and Jeremy leaning over the backs of the rich side ones while the four other were seated in the seats along the back wall. The extra seat between Aaron and his brother was used for bags. 

Erik hadn’t gone into the building, deciding to do some studying in the bus instead. 

“How was it?” Erik asked, packing the last of his German History textbook into his bag which he pushed under the seat. 

“As Good as it could have gone.” Neil shrugged, watching the crowd of people outside his window. Those people were here for Nathaniel Wesninski, even though Josten was the name printed on the back of his jersey. 

Sighs in red and black with a fat number 3 on it. ‘Traitor’s’ on more than one poster. Personal digs like, “never be number one!” Or “Runaways!” Or even “Cowards!” 

Sure, there was kind things, but those were difficult to focus on with the dead fox printed on a banner. 

Kevin placed a gentle hand on Neil’s knee, knowing his was jumpy and snappy. 

That touch brought Neil back, back to the bus and back to his friends. Dan and Jeremy were chatting, sometimes talking captain stuff but mostly talking about pop culture stuff that Neil had no idea about. 

Jean was doing a crossword with one hand while stroking Jeremy’s hair with the other. He seemed fully entertained with the word problems on his page, completely zoned out. 

Nicky was chatting to Allison about a movie, dropping the name of ‘that totally hot guy’ that Allison was nodding wholeheartedly to. Sometimes Nicky would go back to the way he used to act and it was nice to see that the Ravens hadn’t completely killed that happiness in him. 

Erik smiles down at his phone, sometimes tapping Nicky -who was curled up on his chest- on the shoulder to show him what he was looking at. Nicky would laugh and Erik’s eyes would soften. Erik was different than before too, tougher and rougher with a few scars and an easy scowl. Nicky made him better though. 

Andrew and Aaron were having what seemed to be a civil conversation. Andrew didn’t have his knives out at least. Aaron spoke more with his eyes or with his hands in the way he had learnt to in the Nest. The brothers had a secret language with their hands which they were using. Andrew looked relaxed, well as much as he could at least. 

Kevin was smiling at Neil, book forgotten in his hands but thumb keeping his place in the novel. It was something to do with history, the Greeks or maybe the Egyptians, Neil had no clue. 

Neil covered Kevin’s hand with his own, giving a small smile in return. It said, “I’m okay.” because Neil could say it out loud. He didn’t want to disrupt the peace in the bus. 

“Could you two stop eye-fucking each other right in front of us?” Allison piped up with an evil smirk. “It’s not fair for some of us.” 

Renee was back home for a funeral this weekend so Allison was not letting anyone forget that they were not allowed to show affection in front of her. Chances were she had already given Nick and Erik a mouth full, but Erik had probably glared at her cold enough to shut her up. The likelihood of Nicky and Erik not touching in someway for more than a minute was slim, they always seemed to be holding hands or snuggling. Making up for lost time, Neil guessed. 

Kevin rolled his eyes easily at Allison. He pushed Neil’s hair back from his forehead to place a small kiss between his eyebrows. 

“Sleep,” Kevin murmured against his skin, “I’ll wake you up when we get home, Baby.” 

Neil hummed, petting Kevin’s tattooed cheek. Kevin traced a K over Neil’s right peck, where under Neil’s shirt the same letter was bruised into his skin from two nights ago. 

The A and K were fading slightly, but Neil doubted that would last long. Maybe until tonight. 

When Neil had woken up yesterday and looked down at Andrew’s messy blond hair that was sprawled out across Neil’s chest, he had caught a glimpse at the purple marks half covered on his skin. 

He had remembered the night before in a haze then a slap to the face. He wanted to know what was on his skin, but he wanted to let Andrew sleep more. He hadn’t been having a nightmare, his features were calm and relaxed like they only ever were in his sleep or when the three of them were being soft and lazy in bed. 

Kevin had been awake before and had watched Neil wake up. He kissed Kevin good morning without moving more than his neck. In all honesty, three athletes in a simple dorm bed was completely impossible. It didn’t work unless they were basically sleeping on top of each other which didn’t always work. There had been a few nights where someone had woken up from a nightmare to be enclosed in tough arms and that had started a spiral. 

Andrew stirred, just at the movement of Neil’s neck and rolled over to face the wall, using Neil’s body as the wall that made him feel safe. Neil’s eyes had returned to his own chest and he had gasped. 

There was a K marked into his right peck and an A in his left. He traced it with his hand that wasn’t stuck under Andrew’s sleep heavy body. 

Kevin had nuzzled into Neil’s red hair and murmured, “You are ours no matter what.” 

Neil knew just that little whisper would be enough to wake Andrew so he had addressed both of them with, “Thank you.” It was a simple, overused phrase but Kevin and Andrew would know that it wasn’t just a thank you, it never was in this relationship. Everything meant something. 

Now, Kevin pressed one more kiss to Neil’s forehead before guiding his head to his chest where it would remain for the rest of the trip. 

They had picked Renee up from the airport on the way home and the whole bus erupted into cheers at one of the most favoured members of the team returned. 

Allison had jumped out of the bus when the rainbow haired girl walked outside. Allison had attacked Renee with kisses instead of a hello. 

Renee got on the bus, Dan smacked her butt as she passed because she couldn’t stop singing to say a greeting. Renee was lead by Allison to the end of the bus where conversation started up. 

Neil had grown to think of everyone in this bus as family. He had had family when he had been thrown into this mess, biological and found. The Five were his brothers and his lovers and they always would be his family because of what they had gone through together. 

The Foxes were his chosen family, the ones that Neil had decided to love. He had heard people say things like that and he hadn’t believed that you could chose your family, but now he had lived it. 

He had chosen to let Matt call him ‘Son’ and for Dan to take him out for coffee every Saturday morning. For Allison to take him shopping when she was missing Seth who had overdosed at the beginning of the year. For Renee to take him to church when Neil felt particularly lost or sad. 

Neil had grown fond of Jeremy too as of late. He had always like Jeremy Knox, it was extremely difficult not to enjoy that sunny mans company. However, now Beil was seeing Jeremy more like a friend than that good person dating Jean. 

“So it’s decided!” Allison declared over the chatter in the bus. “We are all going out tonight to that club that Nicky used to work at!”

There was cheers from just about everyone at the idea. 

“I can’t.” Neil voices when the chatter died down just enough for Neil to be heard. “Ichirou and I agreed to video call tonight.” 

Kevin stiffened under Neil. Neil reaches for his hand but Kevin discreetly hid it in his pocket. Neil sat up straight, if Kevin wanted to play at this game than fine. 

“You won’t be calling all night!” Allison whined. 

“Yeah but going clubbing after meeting my goddaughter for the first time makes me feel weird.” Neil shrugged. 

“Goddaughter?” This was Andrew with a raised eyebrow at Neil. That was when Neil realised he had slipped up. He had been so focused on messing with Kevin that he had totally let that slip. “More secrets, junkie?”

Neil was stuck in a corner and there was nowhere to run and a secret to be used against him. It wasn’t a terribly dreadful secret but one that would have him judged. 

“I‘d prefer to talk about this later.” Neil mumbled, not meeting anyone’s eye. 

“Me too!” Allison backed him up. “So, Nicky, how extra can we be?” 

Nicky looked weary to just skip over this huge bomb that was just dropped. However he slid his gaze from Neil to Allison, “As crazy as possible.” 

“Great!” Allison clapped. “Neil, we are going shopping, Nicky and Jeremy-Dan too- join. It is now my mission to make you all mouthwatering!” 

So Neil texted Ichirou to reschedule their call. 

Allison had done her job, as always. 

They had spent the rest of the day -ten hours- at the shops and Allison’s bank account what any normal person would consider a dint. 

The Five of them had gone over the top and Allison was all to happy about it. It was red night at Eden’s so Allison had made sure they were all wearing red. 

Dan had this red silk crop top on with a matching skirt that barely went down to her mid thigh. There was silver embroidery along the seems. Four silver chains around her throat and high heels to match. 

Nicky had black boyfriend jeans on, red fishnets underneath that were visible through the many open rips in them, including one under the butt that made him so excited. Nicky also dawned a red mesh top that was so sheer that in the right lighting, you could only see the collar and cuffs of it. 

Allison was in a red lace bra from some shop that Jeremy had blushed to go into. Allison also pared this with a black skirt that barely reached his upper thigh. She had knee high boots in red on and giant hoops through her ears. 

Jeremy was self-consciously wearing black leather pants that were very expressive. A plain red shirt were tucked into them, belt buckle an eye catching silver snake eating its own tail. The shirt was plain expect for a triangle cut from the collar to under the waistband of mesh like Nicky’s top. He had a black chocker on that he had put on himself, already owning it. 

Neil was rather sceptical about his outfit. It was not something that he would ever chose for himself, but Allison said that’s what made it look good. 

The outfit considered of high waisted shorts that barely covered his ass. They were black denim and the back pockets were ripped until they were practically useless. The shirt was tight and cropped, plain red but there was a section over his chest that was missing, displaying the bruises all over his chest. 

He had Doc Martin boots on that gave him and extra two inches of height. Neil had a pair of silver snakes around his neck. There were a few silver rings on each finger, one were a snake weaved through the fingers on his right hand, basically a knuckle duster and Neil like this the best. 

The reason Neil was so uncomfortable in this outfit was that it showed off all his scars. 

Allison had insisted on arriving to the club separately as to surprise the others. She had also insisted on arriving fashionably late. 

By that it meant that Neil was getting Text from Kevin and Andrew asking where he was thirty minutes before they arrived. 

When they eventually did, the others were waiting around in the parking lot. 

As they were getting out of the car Neil’s phone went off. 

“Where are you guys?” Kevin demanded. 

“Look up,” Neil smiled. Kevin looked up like he was told to and his mouth hung open. 

“Holy Fuck,” Kevin gasped over the line and Neil smiled shyly, a blush dusting his cheeks. 

Neil hung up and waited for Jeremy who was sat in the middle backseat to get out before they walked over. 

Most of the others had the same reaction as Kevin had, Aaron was the only one that seemed unfazed. One might expect Andrew to be blank faced and bored but in fact his eyes were blown wide and his lips were parted in shock. 

Both Kevin and Andrew were eye fucking him intensely and Neil was suddenly a lot less self-conscious about how he looked. 

Allison broke the silence by telling them to save it for the private room before leading them all in. 

Normal the five would just drink around a table, but tonight was special. 

Everyone was out on the dance floor, drink in hand and a body pressed to them. Aaron had found himself a girl, but claimed that it would go no further than dancing. 

Nicky and Jeremy were dancing dirtily while their boyfriends watched in awe. Matt and Dan were involved in a heated make out. Renee and Allison were nowhere to be found. Kevin and Neil were in the middle of the floor while Andrew got drinks and they were dancing just as bad as Nicky and Jeremy. 

Andrew came back with the drinks and they all took two shots each before Andrew was dragging them away. They spotted Renee and Allison in the stairwell that lead up to the toilets but moved right by them, outside. 

“Drew what are we doing out here?” Neil questioned. A breeze blew and all of Neil’s exposed skin was slapped with it, bumps rising on his skin. 

Kevin draped his red coat over Neil’s shoulders and hugged him from behind. 

“What’s the kids name?” Andrew didn’t even turn to ask, he lit his cigarette and smoked it away from them even though the wind was blowing it in their faces anyway. 

“Drew not now-“ 

“The name, Josten.” Andrew demanded. Now he turned around and his face was blank, but his eyes were raging. “Just tell us one damn truth. What is the name of the kid?” 

Neil huffed. 

“Her name is Nathania. She was born last month.” Neil sighed. Kevin’s arms were tight around him, but not in the reassuring way. “Ichirou made me her godfather because I was protecting him and his family. If anything was to happen to him, I’d run with Nathania and his wife. Take them away and keep them safe.” 

“What?” Kevin’s voice was strained. “You’d just leave? No goodbye even?” 

“It was my choice, Kev!” Neil ripped away from the tallest man. “Why is it so god damn difficult for you to understand that? Do I disgust you that much, Kevin? And Andrew, why the fuck did you have to ruin a fun night? both of you are driving me crazy!” 

Neil made to leave but a whizz went past his ear. Bullet.


	6. Target 3: Escaped

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bit violent

Neil’s first kill had been a young woman, twenty year old named Britney. She had gotten herself involved with a petty gangster who was causing issues for the Moriyama’s. 

Neil had held the glock pistol to her head, tears pooling in his eyes and hands shaking. 

The woman looked calm. 

“I didn’t want to get involved with him, Mick.” She said. “I was going to run away, but then I found out he got me pregnant.” She touched her stomach lightly with that smallest smile in her lips. “I was going to call him Toby, after my dad. He was going to be beautiful.” 

Neil had sobbed so hard at that, because it sounded like his mother’s story. He knew he had to kill her, had too or the boys he loved would be thrown into hell again. He had to kill her. He had to kill her. He had to kill her. 

“He was going to be such a good person, I’d never let him near his dad.” Britney continued, crying silently. “Do you have someone that you love as much as I love my baby?” 

Neil had let out such an ugly sob, so loud. He nodded. 

“It’s great isn’t it? To love someone more than life?” Britney finally looked Neil in the eye and Neil had collapsed to his knees. “I know you do t want to hurt me, I’m sorry that you have to.” 

Neil bit his lip and raised his gun again to her head, hand shaking. 

“Okay, it’s okay.” Britney smiled, holding his hand steady. “You’re going to shoot and it’s going to be fine. Just promise me that you will protect the one you love like I wish I could have.” 

Neil nodded. 

He had to close his eyes when he pulled the trigger. 

Everything had become easier after that, Neil had learnt to seperate himself from Neil Josten, become someone else without feeling. That had made it easier to sleep at night, easier to look at anyone without a weight on his chest, easier to live. 

That didn’t mean Neil slept all through the night without one nightmare. That didn’t mean he didn’t try his hardest to avoid eye contact. That didn’t mean he didn’t have thoughts of dying every once in a while. 

However, those thoughts always disappeared when he thought of Britney, of the promise he made to the stranger. Protect the ones he loved like she would have done for Toby. 

So, Neil pushed that sudden burst of anxiety in his chest away, smothering it like a fire blanket. 

He pushed Kevin into Andrew and both of them fell to the mountain of slick black trash bags. Andrew had taken them out the back of the club, to the dumpsters. 

There was nothing that Neil could use as a weapon around, no gun, no staff, no knives- 

“Drew!” Neil hissed, not turning his back from the armed parking lot. Neil stretched his hand out and cloth was pressed into it instantly. These bands weren’t the usual black elbow length ones Andrew always wore. They were a blood red fabric, longer too. 

Neil fished the knives out of where they were hidden under folded cotton and threw the bands back. 

“Show yourself!” Neil roared into thin air. There was nothing for a few beats, but then a tall man walked out of the space between two cars. 

He was Japanese, skin lighter than Ichirou’s and reflective of the tacky club lights. He was dressed in a red silk suit jacket and pants, waistcoat a black silk and shirt a luminous white. 

A pistol twirled around his index finger. 

“Matsumoto,” Neil grinned. He had wondered how long it would take for the family to strike the now unprotected Moriyama Assassin. “It’s a pleasure.” 

Neil found himself slipping easily into his roll, Yasha’s smug smirk that was usually hidden under a mask on full display. 

“You are a spitting image of your father, aren’t you young Yasha?” Matsumoto’s voice was raspy but elegant, a cockiness to it that came from power. That was a strong accent to it that made it move like silk. 

“I’ve been told we look similar.” Neil let his shoulders slack, not showing anything but indifference to the situation. 

“Very smug for an unprotected omega.” Matsumoto aimed the gun and Neil heard breathing hitch behind him. 

“No enough to scare me, Sir.” Neil flipped the knife in his right hand through his fingers in a bored manner. “To many times at gun point.” 

Matsumoto hummed amused at Neil who offered the older man his fathers look, cold blue eyes like mirror to the soul and wicked smile. He had never felt so self aware with giving that look to one of his targets, but Kevin and Andrew could see it now. Another reason for Kevin to be afraid. 

“No?” Matsumoto quirked his eyebrow, taking a step closer. Neil caught a glimpse of a red light skimming across the concrete. “How about twenty?” 

“That would be new, yes.” Neil didn’t dare let his smile fall or change in anyway as his heart rate jumped. 

“Do you know how much trouble you’ve caused me?” Matsumoto came into the light a bit more and Neil could see the scatter of grey in Matsumoto’s oil black hair. His face was covered in lines, only some from age or from scowling. “How many of my employees you’ve murdered?” 

“Afraid not, Lord. Do you know how hard it is to remember everyone you’ve killed? I’m guessing you do.” Matsumoto actually chuckled at that. 

“You’re a little shit,” Matsumoto grinned like an predator teasing its prey before devouring it. 

“I’ve been told I have an attitude problem.” Neil shrugged and he heard Andrew murmur something the Kevin. If he heard it, than Matsumoto did too. 

“Get them.” And just like that, the games were over. Four men had grabbed Kevin and Andrew from the garbage. They had appeared for nowhere. “Put the in the car.” 

The cloaked men where shoving Andrew and Kevin towards a giant black van with blacked out windows. 

Neil wanted to scream out, ‘don’t touch them!’ But he didn’t dare. 

Neil tried to look unaffected by them being shepherd away violently. He didn’t think about what would happen to them, nothing because Neil was going to sort this out with them getting so much as a headache. 

Neil turned back to Matsumoto with a blank stare to challenge Andrew’s. 

“Was that supposed to make me scared?” Neil asked, seeming relaxed and genuinely curious. But in truth, Neil was terrified. 

Matsumoto considered for a moment, humming a Japanese rhyme that Riko used to hum after he forced one of the Five bend over for him. 

“Tie them back to back. Let them watch.” Matsumoto said all proud of his power that was merely passed down to him by dare old dad. 

Neil hated this more, somehow. They could either watch Neil kill a bunch of people, or Neil be killed himself. 

“You should have know we’d be coming.” Matsumoto approached. 

“I did.” Neil bit the inside of of his cheek to stop him from looking at his boyfriends. “Tonight was kinda like my last day celebration, but then it was crashed by the leader of the mafia.”

“You’re funny.” Matsumoto chuckled. “Too bad i have to kill you.” 

“Yeah, too bad.” Neil agreed. 

“Cuff him.” 

Neil cried out as the dashboard lighter was pressed to his cheek again. He thrashed around in the seat he was bound to but Lola didn’t drop the lighter. 

Neil’s father had double crossed the Moriyama’s and had gone to work for the Matsumotos’ because they were willing to pay him double. 

Neil had never hated his father so much. 

Lola put down the lighter and picked up one of Andrew’s knives that was coated with his blood. 

Andrew was sitting in the corner, Kevin by his side. They were shackled to the windowsill above them, guards tightening the cuffs every time one of them looked away from what was happening to Neil. 

“You bitch!” Neil seethed at Lola who just looked happy to be maiming and killing. 

“Shush now, Junior.” Lola swiped the blade down Neil’s free cheek, following his cheekbone with the toothed blade. Neil bared his teeth at Lola. “Do you remember, when you were a kid, a took a knife up your back?”

Neil jerked back into the wooden chair hard enough to create a knot in his neck. 

“I tied your seven year old ass up,” Lola moved to tower over him, like Andrew had done to Kevin the first time all of them had kissed. “You were a terrible kid, always so defiant.” 

Lola dragged another line down Neil’s face and the blood mixed with sweat and tears. 

“Anyways, you had been a brat during your lessons so Nathan allowed me to punish you for the first time.” Lola grinned so sickly that Neil felt acid rise in his throat. “I still remember your screams!” She laughed, grabbing his hair, wrenching Neil’s head back violently. “Screaming out for mummy. Do you still have the scar?” 

One more cut to Neil’s face before Lola unbuckled the restraints around Neil’s wrists and ankles. She threw him forward, onto his face. Neil couldn’t catch himself from the burnt skin, melting, and open wounds. 

Lola gripped his hair again, making him look at her. “Shirt. Off.” Neil ripped his face away, a clump of his auburn hair pulling out of his scalp. “NOW!” Lola roared, Neil whimpered. 

Andrew growled as Neil struggled to peel his cropped shirt over his head. Neil hissed at the pain numbing his whole body. 

Once the shirt was off, Lola kicked him to his stomach, Neil’s burnt cheek slapping the dirty concrete floor. 

The warehouse they were in probably hadn’t been cleaned in decades. It was far away from houses, perfect for killing people. 

“Would you look at this?” Lola marvelled. “Still there.” She traced the scar down Neil’s back, not as big as it had once been. 

Next thing Neil knew a butcher’s knife was running along the dip in Neil’s back. It didn’t go deep enough to touch Neil’s spine but deep enough to create stars in his vision. 

Neil screamed, first at the blade in his back but then at his mangled fingers scraping along the floor. 

He let out a strangled sob when the knife finally broke contact with his skin. 

“Let him go!” Kevin yelled, sounding so pained and pleading. 

Neil finally look over at them, image of them distorted by tears and dots. 

Kevin was struggling to get free, cheeks tear stained and wrists bleeding. He trembled and shook. Kevin’s voice was raspy from screaming out which Neil had just realised he had been doing this whole time. 

Andrew was sagged against the wall, looking completely out of it. He looked like he wasn’t even in his body. Andrew’s eyes were glazed over and his limbs hung like weights. He had gone into his headspace that was reserved for triggering situations. 

Neil had only seen him go into that place a few times over the year, one being went Andrew had walked into the room at the Nest to see Neil tied to his bed with chains while Riko got the days frustrations out on him. 

Andrew had seen what was happening, walked to his bed and collapsed into the thin mattress. Riko had thought that Andrew didn’t even care, Neil knew it was because he cared too much. 

Andrew’s lips were moving, slowly and slightly. Neil had to stare to make sure he wasn’t hallucinating. 

Andrew’s lips were forming the word ‘please’ over and over again. 

Neil sobbed harder this time, tears burning his already fire cheeks. He reached out for both of them with a battered and trembling hand. 

Neither of them were hurt, nothing but Kevin’s wrists from where they were ripping against the cuffs. Neither of them were hurt and that was all Neil wanted. 

Kill him, burn down everything, just don’t hurt Andrew or Kevin. 

Neil just wanted to give up, just end it all. He knew he couldn’t t let go, he had to much to leave behind, but he was so tired. 

Lola hauled Neil back into the chair, buckling him back in. 

“Kevin,” Neil gasped. “si je meurs, tu dois continuer à vivre, épouser Andrew et avoir un enfant. Nommez-le Toby, s'il vous plaît!” Neil begged in French. His words were a little sloppy, slurred and stuttered but Kevin seemed to understand. 

“Nein!” Kevin chose German to continue the conversation. “Du stirbst nicht!” 

Lola punch Neil, fist colliding with the burns. 

“Don’t fucking speak in a language I don’t understand!” She snapped, hand wrapping around Neil’s throat. She squeezed. “Got it, Junior?” 

Neil nodded desperately and the hand dropped from around his throat. Lola slapped his freshly melted skin. 

Suddenly, a long needle was plunged into Neil’s neck, he squirmed as he felt liquid being pushed into his vein before everything abruptly went dark. 

Neil woke to being suspended a good three feet off the floor. His wrists were crossed over each other and attached to the ceiling with a metal chain, thick and digging into his skin. 

Neil swung aimlessly, slowly twirling to the left. His whole body felt like a bruise or a gash, both even as he hung like a pig in a butcher- His father always did like style. 

As he twirled, Neil caught sight of Kevin and Andrew. They were both limply sagged against the wall, not asleep but dazed. Kevin was still crying and Andrew was scratching his exposed scars against to cuffs, peeling his skin. 

“Drew, stop...that...” Neil tried for the strongest words he could, trying to make himself sound less weak that he really was, but it didn’t work. Andrew gazed up at him, arms falling and obeying Neil. 

“We thought you were dead.” Kevin mumbled, just as weak as Neil had spoke. He jerked once against the cuffs, but winced at the metal on his bare flesh. 

“I’m sorry,” Neil gasped, a spike of pain shooting through him when he spoke from the stretching of his wounds. “Forgive me?” 

“You’re being stupid-“ Andrew piped up, voice calm but unusually quiet. Maybe quite usually actually, considering the situation. 

Kevin snapped his head towards the pessimism of the group, or maybe the realist. He gave Andrew the face of shit the fuck up. 

“Don’t fight.” Neil butted in before they could clash heads. Neil had never been so happy that the three of them had been left alone in a room together. “My father is going to come in next, he’s going to get answers out of me in the only way he knows how. It’s going to be more brutal that both Lola and Matsumoto’s beatings. Be quiet, don’t attract attention and try and block it out.” 

“You’re not going to tell them anything, right?” Kevin asked. 

“No, Kev.” Neil smiled, it hurt, it hurt so bad. “If I tell them, I die as well as Ichirou and his family. If I don’t tell them anything-“ 

“Than you die and nobody else.” Andrew finished for Neil. He had that stone cold gaze on him again and it bore into Neil. 

“Yes.” He confirmed. 

“That’s crazy!” Kevin pulled at the restraints again. “Baby, don’t you dare do that!”

“Kev, I don’t have a choice.” Neil mumbled, his body twirling to face away from the men staring at him. 

“They’ll kill us-“

“I have that covered.” Neil didn’t have the energy to make his body face Kevin and Andrew so he just let his body sway. 

Kevin was about to tell something but then the doors opened into the empty warehouse, a blacked out figure approached. 

“Father,” Neil greeted. 

“Junior, how disappointed I am to see you too.” Nathan bit back. 

Neil saw that he was armed with a long staff- Akuma. 

“Using my own weapon to harm me?” Neil asked. Nathan chuckled, in one swift movement Akuma was slammed into Neil’s side and Neil went swinging. 

Neil cried out, a rib snapped. 

The next half and hour was pure white pain. Nathan began tracing fading scars with the bladed end of Akuma and separating the two halves to play ping pong with Neil’s battered body. 

Nathan would blindfold Neil before cutting shallow scars into his abdomen at random. 

By the end of the first session, Neil had blacked out ten times from the pain, possibly even more. 

The two men sitting in the corner had done exactly what they were told to do, which was nothing. 

“See you soon, Junior.” Nathan petted Neil’s cheek. “But next time I’ll be looking for answers. 

Neil sagged in his restraints, ready to sleep off everything. 

“I can’t watch it anymore.” Kevin claimed. “Seeing you hurt, Jesus Neil, this has been your whole life?” 

“Yeah,” 

The next time Nathan came in he was armed with an axe in one had and a butchers knife in the other. 

Too many times had Neil been the subject of the latter one. 

Nathan set his tools down by his feet, providing one swift punch to Neil’s gut before picking them back up again. 

“Look at you.” Nathan spat. “Dressed like a slut! Like a woman whore!” He swiped the knife across Neil’s upper thigh, where the shorts ended. Neil had his top back on so the next cut came in the window of his shirt. “Did I raise a faggot? A queen?” 

The butchers knife cut down between Neil’s abs that were on full display. 

“No, Sir!” Neil hissed. 

“Then why are there TWO boys in your bed?” Nathan yelled, landing a punch that knocked all the wind from Neil’s lungs. “Answer me, boy?” 

“I love them!” Neil growled. 

“Please,” Nathan laughed, “we Wesninski’s don’t feel love.” 

“I’m not a Wesninski!” Neil yelled back in his fathers amusement face. “My name is Neil Josten, I’ve always been Neil Josten and I’ve always been this way!” 

Nathan seethed, raising his axe over his head, ready to strike down on Neil’s head even without any answers. 

Before he could however, a look of shock crossed his face. Neil didn’t even register the fire, nor the spray of blood across his face. 

Neil just gaped, world slowing, as Nathan Wesninski, The Butcher of Baltimore crumpled to the floor at his feet. 

Neil shot up in bed, sweat pouring down his face, cold and familiar. His body ached in a way that Neil had never felt before, his body had aches before but never to this extent. 

As quick as he was sitting, Neil fell down onto the bed again when his body gave up. 

“He’s awake!” Neil could make out Kevin’s exasperated voice over the hiss of pain in his ears. 

Kevin’s face came into view over Neil and he look more concerned than Neil had even seen him. His lips were pulled down into a frown and his beautiful green eyes were worrisome. 

Neil smiled up at at him, but it turned into a wince when both of his cheeks caught fire. 

“Hey, Baby.” Kevin whispered, breath fanning over Neil’s face. “We thought we lost you there for a moment.” 

Neil frowned in confusion. Where was he? What had happened? The lighting was dim and dust floated in the air around Kevin’s face. 

Neil flickered his eyes around, he was in face in a car and he was in fact lying across the backseat with his head in Kevin’s lap and his feet on Andrew’s. He couldn’t see who was in the front two seats, there was a black screen between the two parts of the car. The windows were tinted which provided the dim lighting. 

“Why do you two look so worried?” Neil mumbled, hand sorting out Andrew’s. When they found each other’s Neil’s fingers brushed against bandages and gaze. “Drew? What happened? Why are your wrists banged?” 

Neil was immediately jumping to a conclusion. Had Andrew hurt himself like he used to? Did he cut his skin? 

“Tell me you didn’t-“ Andrew covered Neil’s mouth with his own, just a press to shut Neil up. 

“No, Pet.” Andrew brushed Neil’s hair from his eyes. “What do you remember?” 

Nothing, he remembered nothing that gave any clues as to where they were and why Andrew was hurt, why he felt like he should be in a full body cast. 

“Edens, I remember dancing with you guys, drinking a lot. Andrew took us outside- did we get in a fight outside or something?” Neil wanted to touch Andrew in some way, but his hands wouldn’t move. 

“We’ll tell you once we get home, Okay Pet?” Andrew asked in a quiet voice. He was being so careful, it was strange. This wasn’t how Andrew usually acted. Andrew looked at Kevin who was growing even more anxious by the looks of it. 

“Kev, are you hurt?” Neil asked. 

“Same as Andrew, nothing crazy.” Kevin kissed Neil’s forehead. “Sleep, Baby.” 

“No!” Neil huffed, he’d rather die than sleep right now, not knowing anything. Andrew and Kevin were hiding something, Neil knew it. “Movie.” 

He gestured his head at the TV in the back of the driver seat headrest. 

“Lion King?” Kevin asked. Neil nodded and Andrew got that look in his eyes when they brought up the movie. You’d think someone who could remember everything would get bored of watching the same movie over and over, but Andrew could watch it all day everyday and not get tired of it. 

Neil was asleep in their shared bed, Andrew beside him. Kevin had been lying in there too, but somebody needed to open the door for all the Foxes. 

Abby had brought her kit, even though Neil just got out of hospital. 

When everyone walked into the room, they wall let out a gust of ‘oh my god,’ and gasps. Andrew pressed his finger to his lips to tell the to be quiet, but Kevin thought the reaction was normal. 

Neil had two bandaged cheeks, arms wrapped in white, chest and stomach and back and legs and neck. Every exposed inch of Neil’s body was professionally bandaged up. 

At the hospital they had changed his pants, no longer shorts but sweats, but they kept the shirt because there was no spares. 

Everyone else was in their clubbing clothes still as well, too panic ridden to change. 

“They drugged him up before they left, he’ll be out for another few hours.” Kevin informed. ‘They’ was Stuart Hatford and Ichirou Moriyama who had collectively saved all three of their asses the night before. 

Neil rolled over in his sleep, pressing his face to Andrew’s chest. Andrew barely even registered that everyone was watching. He just dove a hand into Neil’s hair and watched the others. 

Nicky was crying, Matt and Dan were in shock while the others looked ready to kill, even Renee and Jeremy. 

“He doesn’t remember anything.” Kevin said, because Andrew wasn’t going to. “The Moriyama doctor says that he blocked it out, put up a barrier between his subconscious and conscience mind.” 

“What happened, Kevin?” Jean stepped closer to the bed, inspecting his brother. 

“We got...kidnapped by the Matsumoto’s, Neil was tortured.” Kevin brought in a shaky breath, he could still see it behind his eyes. “Jean, it was so much worse than the Nest. What happened made Riko’s doings look like child’s play.” 

“You were there?” Aaron asked from next to Wymack who looked to be in shock.

“Yeah, we watched it happen.” Kevin knelt down next to the bed, reaching out to card his fingers through Neil’s blood matted, patchy hair. “I’m glade he doesn’t remember.” 

Andrew hummed in agreement. 

Kevin felt so much sadness, not for himself, but for Neil. Just seeing him half dead, almost dead in the back of that car and not being able to do anything was horrible. 

The Foxes began to filter out, then eventually Abby and Wymack, next Aaron before Jeremy, lastly Jean. 

Andrew wriggled our from next to Neil, standing up and stretching out like he hadn’t moved in centuries. 

Andrew and Kevin didn’t really do anything together, it was more doing stuff with Neil together than just the two of them. 

They had kissed a few times by themselves but nothing further. Kevin loved Andrew, he really did, just like he did Neil. It’s just that they barely spent time alone together. 

Now, though, it was just them and a drugged out Neil. 

Andrew dropped to his knees in front of Kevin, pulling his arm away from the bed and Neil’s hair. 

“Kevin,” Andrew squeezed both his hands. There was nothing that was added, but Kevin knew what it meant. 

“I can’t relax, Andrew.” Kevin let his head fall onto the bed but he didn’t dare close his eyes, not when a dying Neil was all he could see behind his lids. “Not like you.” 

“I’m not calm at all, Day.” Andrew gripped the back of Kevin’s neck, showing Kevin that he had control over this situation. “One of the only people I care about almost died right in front of my eyes. I’m not calm.” 

“I’m sorry.” Kevin mumbled. He raised his hand to each side of Andrew’s face, not touching though. “Yes or no?” 

“Yes.” Andrew confirmed. Kevin cupped Andrew’s face with his sensitive hands and kissed him. 

It wasn’t like the two were going to have sex right here right now, not with everything going on right now, but kiss they could. 

Andrew climbed onto Kevin’s lap, slowly and carful because even though they had been dating for five and a half months, they hadn’t gone further than a kiss thirty seconds long by themselves. 

Kevin held his face still while Andrew gripped his shoulders. 

The kiss was slow and passionate and strong. It held the promise of comfort and protection. 

Kevin opened up his mouth and Andrew slipped inside with twine their tongues together. Everything about this kiss was somber in a way that made it feel a a gently flowing creek. 

Andrew followed Kevin’s arms to where his hands were on his face, then Andrew moved Kevin’s hand to his hair. 

“Just here,” Andrew muttered against Kevin’s lips. Kevin twined his fingers in the blond hair that was all new and very soft. 

Andrew ducked his head into the dip of Kevin’s neck, brushing his noise along the pulse point. 

“Andrew,” Kevin sighed, nuzzling his face into Andrew’s hair. “I’m terrified.” 

“Me too, Day.” Andrew admitted into the warm skin of Kevin’s neck. “I’ve never been so scared before today.” 

Kevin knew it must have taken a lot for Andrew to admit that to him, considering they were as close. 

“Andrew,” Kevin began, “I want there to be an us. I care about you just as much as Neil, but we never do anything.” 

“I know.” Andrew brought his head up, kissing a line from Kevin’s lips to his ear. “I want that to change too.” 

Kevin felt a flutter in his chest, in his whole body and he felt like crying again. He hadn’t cried this much in years, but he found himself unable to stop the tears from falling now. 

Andrew kissed him on the lips one more time before crawling off. He help Kevin up to his feet and they both watched Neil for a minute longer before climbing into the closest bed to Neil’s. It was Andrew’s. 

They faced each other, flushed against each other from toe to hair, arms and legs wrapped up together like a confusing puzzle. 

“Sleep,” Andrew pressed Kevin’s eyelids down once they began to flutter from exhaustion, “I’ll keep an eye on him.” 

Kevin nodded, keeping his eyes close because they felt like bricks. Andrew pressed one more kiss to his lips before Kevin was violently yanked under by sleep.


End file.
